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Effective Executive Journal

Corporate Leadership for Environment- Friendly and Sustainable Growth

Article Details

Pub. Date	: Sept, 2020
Product Name	: Effective Executive
Product Type	: Coaching and Mentoring
Product Code	: EECM10920
Author Name	: Colin Coulson-Thomas
Availability	: YES
Subject/Domain	: Management
Download Format	: PDF Format
No. of Pages	: 15

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Abstract

Directors, boards and business leaders face the challenge of pressure to recover from a widespread and deep recession caused by the impact of Covid-19 and government and public responses to it without reverting to previous practices that damage the environment, reduce biodiversity and contribute to climate change, and a historic window of opportunity to seize the moment and review, repurpose, reboot and transition to more environment-friendly, inclusive, responsible and sustainable policies, practices and development models. Board leadership and program management have vital roles to play in creating the 'new normal' that emerges from the current situation and ensuring the future changes and initiatives address inclusion and environmental concerns and longer-term challenges such as climate change. Key skills for directors and corporate leaders include listening, visioning and communication; identifying relevant sources of objective advice; stakeholder consultation, engagement and involvement; understanding evolving stakeholder aspirations, preferences and priorities; and knowing what questions to ask in relation to climate change, issue monitoring and management, water and energy security issues, pollution prevention and waste management, the circular economy, collaboration and responding to environmental challenges and opportunities.

Description

One impact of the Covid-19 pandemic has been that around the world for a period the air that many people breathe was less harmful. Some reported a sky that seemed bluer in color in comparison with before, or in the absence of traffic noise they mentioned hearing bird song, the lack of which alerted Rachel Carson to the impact of pesticides on wildlife (Carson, 1962). Others noticed distant trees, hills or mountains that had been long hidden behind a fog of pollution. Will the focus of many corporate leaders upon pandemic-related issues and economic survival and recovery distract them from other concerns and priorities? Will they quickly revert to previous business and operating practices that damage the environment, reduce biodiversity and contribute to climate change? To what extent will a resumption of global economic growth be environment-friendly, responsible and sustainable? Given the collective effort needed to tackle Covid-19, will future growth be more inclusive? What leadership focus and skills will be required to recover from recession while addressing inclusion and environmental concerns and longer-term challenges such as climate change?